This application is a substitute for application Ser. No. 06/903,591, filed Sept. 4, 1986, now abandoned.
The invention disclosed herein pertains to a machine that is most commonly used for splitting lengths of logs into so-called firewood although the machine can be used to split wood into pieces for other uses too.
The most widely used wood splitting machines have means for holding one end of a short piece of log against a stop while a blade is advanced through the log from its other end under the influence of a hydraulic work cylinder or actuator. One of the problems with this popular type of wood splitter is that the wood derived from a single large diameter log has unsuitably large width when the log has been cut just one time. This means that the two pieces resulting from splitting the log once must be put into the machine again for subdividing the pieces into smaller pieces which are more suitable for burning in a fireplace or stove. The repeated handling of the wood results in labor costs which are unduly high and this must necessarily result in the consumer paying a high price for the wood.